FicWad

Molly walked off the plane at O'Hare and into the deserted terminal. Glancing around for her brother she finally spotted him looking as drained as she was sure she did. Raising an arm she waved and headed over to him.
"Hey." Molly said softly and put her arms around her brother. Hugging him tightly she let him cling to her for a minute. "I'm home now. You can stop being the grownup."
"No I can't. You'll leave again."
"Not til after New Year's at least. I promise. I do have to get back for work, but I can stay for a few weeks and help things get sorted out."
"...we'll see. Come on. I'm tired." The siblings headed out of the airport, making a quick stop to pick up Molly's luggage and then headed home.
The next morning Molly woke up in her old bed and looked around her room. Rolling over she was surprised to see Jamie curled up in the corner of her bed staring at her.
"Hey kiddo."
"Hi. Are you staying this time?" Molly closed her eyes at her brothers question before answering.
"I don't know. I'll be here for a few weeks at least though."
"Ok...Molly?"
"Yea."
"I miss Mommy."
"I know baby. Me too. Come here." Molly held out her arms and let her brother crawl over to her and curl up with her as they both let themselves cry.

A few hours later Molly shuffled her feet as she smiled fakely at people who shook her hand and told her how lovely she looked. Finally having enough of it she grabbed her purse and nodded to Sean that she was going to step outside. Walking down the hallway of the funeral home Molly opened the door and stepped out into the rainy Chicago air.
"Fuck its cold." Molly muttered as she stamped her feet. Pulling out a cigarette she lit it and inhaled deeply.
"I thought you quit." Molly jumped at the voice and turned to see Joe Trohman standing there with his own cigarette.
"JOE!" Molly said in surprise before throwing her arms around her friend. He hugged her back tightly for a few minutes. "These? Yea I did quit. But sometimes you just need a smoke."
"Heavy inside huh?"
"Yea. Little bit. What are you doing here?"
"Came to pay my respects. One of my best friends parents dies, I'm not gonna not show up. I actually think my parents are inside already. They always liked you."
"Really? Huh...Oh well I wasn't pay that much attention."
"Alright...we'll you look like you came outside for some space so I'll see you in there ok?"
"Yea. Oh and Joe. Thanks for coming." Joe nodded in response before heading into the building. Molly pulled her suit jacket tighter around her and took another drag on her cigarette before coughing and throwing it on the ground. "Yuck."
"That's good to see." said a quiet voice from behind her.
"Hey Pete." Molly said without turning around. "You coming to pay your respects too?"
"Too?"
"Joe's here."
"Oh...yea he mentioned he might come by. I think Andy's gonna stop by as well. I don't know about Patrick."
"Patrick's already here." Molly responded.
"Uhh...really?"
"Yea, he hasn't said a word to me. Mostly stuck to Sean. I didn't realize they were still such good friends."
"You haven't exactly been around the past few years."
"Not the time or the place Pete." Molly said coldly to her friend.
"Yea, you're right. I'm sorry. How are you holding up?"
"Oh...you mean other then the fact that my mother was dead for two days before anyone thought to call me. How about the fact that my father hasn't spoken to me since I've gotten home. Then there is the fact that Jamie is ONLY speak to me. Which means that leaving is going to be hell. My grandparents aren't even staying with us in the house 'cause my grandmother and dad got into some big row a few months back no one told me about."
"Yea, well. Can you blame them? You haven't exactly been Ms. Reliable lately...wait...You're not home for good?"
"I've got a job in LA Pete. I have an apartment too. Make no mistake, that's my apartment. I signed the lease."
"...huh?"
"Yea, I got rid of him." Molly said holding up her left hand.
"Well...at least that's SOME good news." Pete replied.
"Yea. I don't know what to do. It's like Sean called me the other day. Told me about Mom, and Molly from high school came back. I kicked Rick out...or at least I'm in the process of doing so. And I've been playing Mom to Jamie just like back then. I don't want to go back to being her Pete."
"Why not? What was so wrong with my best friend?"
"She was weak."
"Oh and you're so god damned strong huh?"
"No. I'm not. I know that. But I don't want to go back to being a door mat. That Molly didn't know how the real world works. I do. And I know it sucks. Hard."
"Yea, well, life sucks. and then you die. but its all the living in between that is important to focus on. The friends you make, the family you choose. Your dad isn't perfect Molly but he does love you. Jamie thinks you hung the moon. And you give Sean far too little credit. You don't have to go back to running everything, but you could stand to take some of that responsiblity and maturity back into your brain."
"You're one to talk."
"Touche." Pete said slipping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a tight one armed hug. Resting his chin on top of Molly's head Pete smiled, "We're quite a pair aren't we?"
"Patrick used to say seperated at birth with a nice big age gap." Pete laughed at her response. "I should get back in. You coming?"
"Yea. Let's go."
The next day passed like a blur for Molly. Wake up, get dressed, make sure the boys were in clean pressed suits, head to the funeral home, sit in the limo on the way to the church, sit through the mass, get into the limo, sit through the processional to the cemetary, stand through the burial, finally back to the house. Molly was standing in the kitchen by herself swirling a tumbler of whisky around and just staring at it.
"You gonna drink that or contemplate the meaning of life in it?" Her father's voice asked from the doorway. Closing her eyes Molly tossed back the double shot of booze.
"Drink it." She said, "Want one?" Molly held up the bottle and another glass as she poured herself another two fingers of the amber liquid.
"Yes." In response Molly poured her father a drink.
"Cheers?"
"To what?"
"Surviving. It finally being over. Life in general. You pick."
"How about all of the above?"
"Works for me." Molly responded. "I'm sorry Dad."
"Yea I know. Do me a favor and apologize by allowing me to refer to my daughter as being single again."
"Already in the works."
"Good. You know, I'm not even mad at her." Jack said suddenly.
"Me either. I kinda understand why she did it."
"Yea..me too. I just wish...I guess I just wish she hadn't done it after we fought."
"Ultimate revenge Dad. Mom was far from perfect, she was still a selfish little kid a lot of the time. We both know that. I'm afraid I'm turning into her."
"No...that'll never happen. You're still my kid too. You're just stubborn as hell and more then not you tend to not use that brain up there." He said sipping his whisky.
"Yea..." Molly poured him another glass as she finished her own."God this is disgusting."
"Then why are you drinking it?"
"I felt the need to get good and hammered. I figured I don't drink anymore, but the occasion called for it. Who ARE those people in the living room?" Jack laughed at his daughter's question as he loosened his tie.
"Your mother's Club friends. Some people from my office. Your friends and their parents."
"Yea ok, I knew the last grouping. Why are they all here?"
"Because apparently it makes sense to people that the bereaved host a party after they stick someone they love in the ground." Jack replied and tossed back his own drink.
"Right. Perfect sense." Molly muttered. "Oh well, I think I've had enough to face the masses. How about you?"
"I'll live. Let's go make nice and then kick them out. Another hour?"
"Works for me." Molly said slapping a fake smile on her face before pushing open the kitchen door and through into the dining room and then into the living room.
Once Molly and her father had managed to get everyone out of their house she changed and had taken a nap. It was a few hours later and she was sitting on her front porch on a chair with a blanket wrapped around her. The sound of two throats clearing knocked her out of her reverie.
"Hey." Molly said surprised to see Elyse and Matt again.
"Hey, we didn't exactly get a chance to talk to you the past few days with everything that's been going on. And if you aren't up for hangs right now we understand and we'll peace out." Elyse said.
"Uhh...I followed about half of that but I think I know what you're trying to say. And sit down."
Her two friends laughed as they joined her on the porch.
"You look good." Matt said.
"I look like shit. You want a beer?" Molly pointed with her toe to the cooler.
"Drinking the pain away?" Elyse asked as Matt fished out drinks for the two of them.
"Nope. Just doing a really long toast. I think I'm allowed under the circumstances."
"Totally are." Elyse responded. "Cheers. To a crazy lady who always made life just a little more interesting." Molly laughed at her blonde friends toast to her mother.
"God I missed you guys."
"Us too Mol. Us too. How long are you here for?" Matt said.
"Uh...I think I'm staying for an indefinite amount of time. Dad said he'd swing my rent for me and basically make arangements to get Rick out of my place while I'm here."
"Really? That's cool. How's he gonna pull that off though?" Matt questioned Molly.
"It's my dad. I don't ask questions. I've learned."
"True."
"Anyway, new subject. What's up with you two?"
The three friends sat there on the porch drinking beer, telling stories, and just generally catching up with each other for the next few hours. When Matt and Elyse had finally left around 3am Molly headed inside looking like someone who had been sitting in a freezer.
"You're NUTS." Sean hissed when he saw her as he was walking upstairs with a glass of milk. Molly giggled slightly. "And drunk."
"Only a little. Matt and Elyse were here. We have that stupid space heater plugged in on the porch."
"Yea...but that's for when you're outside for a little bit. Not a few hours."
"Eh, so I catch a cold. I'll live. Oh and you'll be glad to know, I'm home for an indefinite amount of time. Now I'm going to sleep. Night."
Molly walked up the stairs past her shocked brother who quickly hurried up the stairs after her to get some answers. Or to possibly find out when the pod person had left his sisters body.
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A/N: Title: Hear You Me- Jimmy Eat World. Listen to it. Learn it. Love it.
Also, here ends Part 4. Part 5 will start in February 2005---now let's see if anyone can guess the significance of that.